Container closure



1* 24, 1936. T. MCPHAIL 2,035,329

CONTAINER CLOSURE .Filed March 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l I nventm' '7". M"??? ail ch 24, 1936. T. MCPHAIL CONTAINER CLOSURE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1935 Inventm M Phai Z Attorney Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in receptacles and more particularly to an automatic opening and closing closure therefor.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a container for flour, sugar, cofiee, and various other materials, provided with a closure which will readily open when the container is tilted and readily close itself when the container is again righted.

During the course of the following specification, other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the container showing the closure in closed position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the container showing the closure in closed position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the closure showing the same in open position.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 represents a container provided with a threaded upper portion over which the threaded cap of the novel closure can be disposed, this cap being denoted by the numeral 6.

The cap is provided centrally with an upstanding short tubular discharge spout I, while a substantial distance from this spout the cap 6 is provided with the radially disposed andequally spaced bosses 8, each of which is provided with a cut-away portion opposite the spout l defining a stop shoulder 9.

As is clearly shown in Figure 1, there are four of the said bosses 8 and consequently there will be four of the substantially square-shaped closure sections l0, certain corners of which meet when the closure is in closed position, immediately over the spout I, while their diagonally opposite corners are pivotally connected to the bosses 8. These last mentioned corners of the plates H) are bifurcated to provide the ears ll 5 through which and the corresponding boss 8 a pivot pin i2 is disposed.

The crotch I3 of this last mentioned corner of the plate is engageable with the shoulder 9 of the corresponding boss 8 to limit outward move- 10 ment of the plate section when the container is tilted or inverted. This is clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

When the container is inverted or tilted, the sections l0 swing outwardly so that their meeting corners part and expose the spout 'I so that the material in the container can be poured therefrom.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size, and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a container, a cap, a discharge opening in the cap, a spout extending upwardly from the cap, at the discharge opening therein, a plurality of closure plates, a plurality of bosses on the cap, each of said plates being of substantially square shape and each having one of its corner portions bifurcated to receive a corresponding boss, 9. pivotal connection between each of the bifurcated corners and its corresponding boss, the diagonally opposite corner of each plate from its bifurcated corner being reduced for engagement over a portion of the spout when the said plates are in gravitated position to close the same.

THEODORE McPHAIL. 

